Elumuutus
Elumuutus is a term used in speculative biology and science fiction to describe a regulated life-cycle reconfiguration in certain organisms. The word combines Estonian elu ('life') and muudatus ('change'), and in many treatments denotes a controlled developmental program that temporarily halts ordinary aging processes and transforms physiology or morphology through a distinct life-stage transition. In fictional ecosystems, elumuutus can produce renewed vitality, altered reproductive strategy, or novel phenotypes without external cloning.
Proposed mechanisms emphasize genetic and epigenetic reprogramming coupled with metabolic remodeling. Initiation is described as responding
Usage and reception: In world-building and speculative biology, elumuutus raises questions about identity, species boundaries, and
See also: metamorphosis, aging, epigenetics, developmental biology.